Who Is Maureen E. McPhilmy? The Amazing Life Story of Bill O’Reilly’s Ex-Wife

Maureen E. McPhilmy is an American public relations executive who became widely known through her marriage to television host Bill O’Reilly, which ran from 1996 to 2011. Born in a small upstate New York village, she built a career in communications, raised two children, and later found herself at the center of a highly publicized divorce and custody dispute. Since then, she has kept her personal life largely out of the spotlight. This article explains who she is, how her story unfolded, and what is publicly known about her life today, using court reports, biographical databases, and legal commentary.

Attribute	Details
Full Name	Maureen Elizabeth McPhilmy
Also Known As	Maureen McPhilmy O’Reilly
Date of Birth	May 11, 1966
Age	60 years old (as of September 2026)
Zodiac Sign	Taurus
Birthplace	Chittenango, New York, USA
Nationality	American
Profession	Public relations executive
Known For	Former wife of Bill O’Reilly
First Spouse	Bill O’Reilly
Wedding Date	November 2, 1996
Separation	2010
Divorce Finalized	September 1, 2011
Children	Two: Madeline (born 1998) and Spencer (born 2003)
Current Spouse	Jeffrey Gross
Net Worth	Not publicly verified; online estimates vary widely

Who Is Maureen E. McPhilmy?

Maureen Elizabeth McPhilmy is an American public relations professional best known as the former wife of Fox News host Bill O’Reilly. Most public records and biographies list her full name as Maureen Elizabeth McPhilmy, and some sources call her Maureen McPhilmy O’Reilly, the name she used during her marriage.

She is not a celebrity in the traditional sense. She never hosted a show, starred in a film, or sought a media career of her own. Public attention came mainly from her marriage and from the legal disputes that followed the couple’s separation. Court filings, news coverage, and law firm commentary make up most of the reliable record about her.

What Are the Key Facts About Maureen E. McPhilmy?

The table below summarizes the verified and widely reported details of her life.

Where Was Maureen McPhilmy Born and Raised?

Maureen McPhilmy was born on May 11, 1966, in Chittenango, a small village in upstate New York. Chittenango sits in Madison County, east of Syracuse, and has a close community feel that contrasts sharply with the New York media world she later entered.

Public sources share very few details about her parents, siblings, or school years. Reputable biographies do not confirm her educational background, so this article does not guess at it. That gap fits a pattern in her life. She has never courted publicity, and she has rarely given interviews about her childhood or family history.

What Does Maureen McPhilmy Do for a Living?

Maureen McPhilmy works as a public relations executive. Public relations professionals manage communication between organizations and the public, which includes press releases, media outreach, event promotion, and reputation management.

Multiple biographies describe her career in this field as the reason she crossed paths with the broadcast world in the early 1990s. The same profession gave her practical knowledge of how media stories form and spread, though she reportedly chose not to use that knowledge to build a public persona. Detailed information about her employers and client list is not available from verified sources, and she has not published a professional profile that fills in those details.

How Did Maureen McPhilmy Meet Bill O’Reilly?

Maureen McPhilmy met Bill O’Reilly in 1992 through her work in public relations. At that time, O’Reilly was a rising television journalist working in national broadcast news, well before he became the face of a prime time cable show.

Most biographical sources agree on the 1992 meeting year, although they differ slightly on the exact circumstances. The relationship developed over the next several years. Bill O’Reilly later hosted The O’Reilly Factor on Fox News and became one of the most recognizable and polarizing commentators in American media. He left the network in 2017 amid allegations of workplace misconduct, which he has denied.

When Did Maureen McPhilmy and Bill O’Reilly Get Married?

Maureen McPhilmy and Bill O’Reilly married on November 2, 1996. IMDb lists that date, and it appears consistently across biographical databases.

The couple built a family life in the New York area while O’Reilly’s career grew quickly. Their marriage lasted roughly fifteen years from the wedding to the legal end of the marriage, and the two spent most of that time out of the tabloid spotlight. Public attention increased sharply only when the marriage broke down.

Who Are Maureen McPhilmy’s Children?

Maureen McPhilmy has two children with Bill O’Reilly: a daughter named Madeline, born in 1998, and a son named Spencer, born in 2003. Both children grew up during their parents’ marriage and lived through the separation and the legal fight that followed.

Their names became public because of court coverage, not because the family shared them voluntarily. Both are now adults or approaching adulthood, and reliable sources offer little information about their private lives. Out of respect for that privacy, this article focuses only on what is relevant to the public record of their mother’s story.

Why Did Maureen McPhilmy and Bill O’Reilly Divorce?

The couple separated in 2010, and a New York court finalized their divorce on September 1, 2011. A separation agreement signed in 2010 later became part of the divorce judgment, and it set out how the two would share custody of their children.

The public accounts of the reasons behind the split diverge. According to court filings that news outlets reported, McPhilmy alleged that O’Reilly had been physically abusive during the marriage, including a claimed incident in 2009. Some accounts say the couple’s daughter witnessed it. O’Reilly denied the accusations and called them false. Because those claims reached the public through litigation, readers should treat them as allegations from a legal dispute and not as established findings.

The financial terms of the divorce settlement have not been fully disclosed. Reports say the details remain sealed, which is why online estimates of her wealth range from about $4 million to more than $10 million. None of those figures has a verified source.

What Happened in the Maureen McPhilmy Custody Battle?

The custody dispute between Maureen McPhilmy and Bill O’Reilly lasted for years and moved through several courts. It began soon after the divorce. In 2011, McPhilmy asked a trial court to modify the custody terms. The court denied that motion without holding a hearing, and she appealed. New York’s Second Department appellate court heard the appeal in January 2013.

In April 2015, a different judge modified the custody arrangement. The ruling named McPhilmy as the parent of primary residence and gave O’Reilly visitation rights.

The conflict continued after that ruling. O’Reilly asked a Nassau County court to hold McPhilmy in civil contempt for failing to follow the visitation order. He requested a fine of $2,500 for each day of noncompliance beginning October 11, 2015. According to a legal analysis published by the Sarno da Costa D’Aniello Maceri Webb law firm, the judge found her in contempt and fined her $310,000. The judge also concluded that she never sincerely intended to share custody under the original 2010 agreement. McPhilmy filed a notice of appeal after the decision.

This part of her story shows how difficult high conflict custody cases can become. Judges must weigh the children’s best interests, each parent’s compliance with court orders, and competing accounts of what happened at home.

What Was Bill O’Reilly’s $10 Million Lawsuit Against Maureen McPhilmy?

In 2016, Bill O’Reilly filed a $10 million lawsuit against McPhilmy. He claimed she made false representations during the divorce proceedings and used money from their settlement to support a relationship that she had pursued before the marriage ended. McPhilmy disputed the claims.

Coverage of the lawsuit appeared in major outlets, including the British tabloid press, which reported that friends described McPhilmy as putting on a brave face during the dispute. One biography describes the suit as unsuccessful, although reliable public reporting on its final outcome is limited. Readers who want the exact legal result should check the original court records instead of relying on secondary summaries.

Who Is Maureen McPhilmy Married To Now?

Maureen McPhilmy is married to Jeffrey Gross. Biographical databases such as IMDb list Gross as her current spouse, and several profiles say the relationship began after her separation from O’Reilly.

The couple has kept a low profile. Gross does not hold a public role, and neither spouse has courted media attention. Available reports describe her post divorce life as quiet and centered on family, which stands in contrast to the years of court coverage.

What Is Maureen McPhilmy Doing Today?

Maureen McPhilmy lives a private life and rarely appears in the news. She is 60 years old as of September 2026, and no verified source shows her giving recent interviews, running a public social media presence, or promoting a book or business tied to her former marriage.

Some websites claim to know her current employer, home address, or exact finances. Readers should treat those claims with caution. Many of these pages repeat one another and cite no primary source. The most dependable information comes from court reporting, law firm commentary, and established biographical databases.

Why Does Maureen McPhilmy’s Story Still Draw Attention?

Her story draws attention because it combines a famous name, a long legal dispute, and questions about family, privacy, and public image. Bill O’Reilly’s prominence in American media meant that his divorce received far more coverage than most family court cases ever do.

McPhilmy’s story also shows how a private individual can become a public subject without choosing that role. She did not build her reputation through fame. Court proceedings and press reports shaped it. Her decision to step back from media attention after the litigation, and to focus on family life, explains why so few current details exist.

Conclusion

Maureen E. McPhilmy is a public relations executive, a mother of two, and the former wife of Bill O’Reilly. Her marriage ran from 1996 to 2011, and the years afterward brought divorce, custody hearings, a contempt ruling, and a $10 million lawsuit. She has since remarried and returned to a private life. Court records and reputable reporting provide the most accurate picture of her story.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Maureen E. McPhilmy?
Maureen E. McPhilmy is an American public relations executive born on May 11, 1966, in Chittenango, New York. She is best known as the former wife of television host Bill O’Reilly. The couple married in 1996 and divorced in 2011. They have two children together.

How old is Maureen McPhilmy?
Maureen McPhilmy is 60 years old as of September 2026. She was born on May 11, 1966, in Chittenango, New York. Some older online profiles list her as 58 because they were written in earlier years, so readers should always check the publication date of any biography.

When did Maureen McPhilmy and Bill O’Reilly divorce?
The couple separated in 2010, and a court finalized their divorce on September 1, 2011. They had married on November 2, 1996. Their separation agreement became part of the divorce judgment and set the original custody terms for their two children, Madeline and Spencer.

Who is Maureen McPhilmy married to now?
Maureen McPhilmy is married to Jeffrey Gross. Several biographical sources say their relationship began after her separation from Bill O’Reilly in 2010. The couple avoids media attention, and no verified public source shares details about their wedding date or daily life.

Did Maureen McPhilmy win the custody battle?
In April 2015, a judge named Maureen McPhilmy the parent of primary residence and granted Bill O’Reilly visitation. A later Nassau County ruling found her in civil contempt for not following the visitation order and fined her $310,000. She filed a notice of appeal, so the full outcome remains complex.